WSCIJ, CPJ condemn detention of FIJ journalist Ojukwu, demand release, withdrawal of charges

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Coalition for Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) have called for the release of Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) reporter Daniel Ojukwu, who was remanded on Monday over a series of accountability reports he authored in 2023.

Judge Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Mr Ojukwu’s detention at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja on Monday till 1 December, scheduled for the hearing of his bail application.

She issued the remand order following the arraignment of the journalist on cybcrime charges accusing him of defaming Adeojoke Orelope-Adefulire, a presidential aide on sustainable development goals and former Lagos State deputy governor.

The organisations also demanded the withdrawal of the charges against Mr Ojukwu, which arose from FIJ reports on alleged irregularities involving Mrs Orelope-Adefulire and her Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).

The CWPPF also called for his release, questioning why he should remain in custody for three weeks before his bail application is heard.

During his arraignment on Monday, Mr Ojukwu pleaded guilty to all 12 counts of cyberstalking and criminal defamation filed by the police.

Judge Abdulmalik remanded him at the Kuje Correctional Centre for 21 days, in the first instance, after she ruled that his bail application was not ripe for hearing.

In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, WSCIJ described Mr Ojukwu’s remand as troubling, saying it raised concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists investigating the management of public funds and government projects.

The centre recalled that Mr Ojukwu was arrested and detained in May 2024 over reports concerning the same government office. It said the latest development was another troubling episode for a journalist reporting on matters of public interest.

CPJ’s Africa director, Angela Quintal, also urged the Nigerian authorities to drop the charges against Mr Ojukwu and Mr Soyombo and repeal laws that criminalise journalism.

“Nigerian authorities must swiftly drop the criminal charges against journalist Daniel Ojukwu and FIJ founder Fisayo Soyombo, and repeal laws that criminalise journalism,” she said in another statement on Wednesday.

“With elections approaching, authorities must not ignore the damaging impact of these charges on press freedom and journalists’ ability to report freely and without fear,” Ms Quintal added.

CPJ said the charges were linked to four FIJ investigations published between November 2023 and January 2024. The reports examined alleged irregularities in government contracts and expenditure under the OSSAP-SDGs, then headed by Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.

Mr Soyombo was absent from the 10 November proceedings. Lawyers representing the journalists, Oluseye Moore and Abimbola Ojenike, told CPJ that he was expected to appear at the next hearing.

According to CPJ, the cybercrime charges carry maximum penalties of 10 years’ imprisonment or a fine of N25 million, while the criminal defamation charges under the Criminal Code carry a maximum two-year prison term.

The organisation said it contacted Mrs Orelope-Adefulire for comment but received no response. Her lawyer, Muiz Banire, defended the charges.

“Let them show you that what they published about my client is correct,” Mr Banire said.

In another separate statement on Thursday, CWPPF stated that the prosecution raised concerns about the use of criminal laws against journalists investigating public officials.

The coalition identified two FIJ investigations published on 7 and 19 November 2023. One examined a N147.1 million payment by the SDGs office to a restaurant for classroom construction in Lagos, while the other investigated allegations that a restaurant was presented as an engineering company to obtain N367.46 million from the federal government.

It noted that the reports raised legitimate questions about public spending and the execution of government projects.

“A public official’s disagreement with a publication, or the fact that a report may be critical of the government’s program and policy, does not automatically make such publication a criminal offence,” the coalition said.

It cited Sections 39 and 22 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and recognise the press’s responsibility to hold government accountable.

The coalition also questioned the police’s reliance on Section 24(2)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended.

The provision addresses the intentional transmission of communications to bully, threaten or harass another person where the communication causes fear of death, violence or bodily harm.

According to the coalition, prosecutors must establish the specific elements of the offence. It argued that an investigative report questioning the management of public funds does not, by itself, amount to cyberstalking.

The group also referred to an April 2025 advisory by the National Human Rights Commission, which cautioned against the arbitrary application of Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act against journalists, activists and others exercising their right to freedom of expression.

It stated that the commission had urged law enforcement agencies to ensure that arrests and prosecutions were supported by clear and specific evidence.

CWPPF further argued that Mr Ojukwu should not remain in custody until December simply because his bail application had been adjourned.

It said the offences were bailable and that the journalist had an established professional and residential base in Nigeria, had previously been granted administrative bail and was willing to attend court proceedings.

“The fact that a bail hearing has been adjourned to December should not mean that he must remain in correctional custody until then,” the coalition stated.

It cited Section 36(5) of the Constitution, which guarantees the presumption of innocence, arguing that keeping Mr Ojukwu in custody before the determination of his case risked turning pre-trial detention into punishment.

The coalition called for his immediate release on reasonable bail terms. It also urged public officials and law enforcement agencies not to use cybercrime laws to intimidate journalists and called for transparent processes in responding to investigative reports.

The statement was signed by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA) on behalf of the coalition.

CWPPF comprises media and civil society organisations and law firms working on whistleblower protection, freedom of expression and press freedom. Its members include PREMIUM TIMES, WSCIJ, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, Daily Trust, SERAP, Media Rights Agenda, the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the International Press Institute’s Nigeria chapter.

Mr Ojukwu’s latest detention follows his arrest in 2023 over FIJ reports concerning Mrs Orelope-Adefulire.

He went missing on 1 May 2024 after his phones were switched off and his colleagues, family and friends could not establish his whereabouts. FIJ subsequently reported him missing at police stations in the area where he was last known to be heading.

His family and employer later discovered that officers of the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector-General of Police had taken him into custody. He was first held at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Lagos, before being transferred to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre in Abuja.

The police said his arrest followed a petition accusing him of violating the Cybercrimes Act through his reports on the SDGs office.

Before his arrest, police officers had questioned Bukky Shonibare, chairperson of FIJ’s Board of Trustees, in Abuja about the report. However, they had not invited Mr Ojukwu or other FIJ staff members before his arrest.

He was released on 10 May 2024 following public protests and pressure from rights groups. The police retained his passport, saying he might flee the country.

Mr Ojukwu has since appeared before the police cybercrime centre several times in connection with the matter.